Paul Pogba may face a football ban lasting up to four years after he tested positive for testosterone. Juventus’ midfielder received a provisional suspension following a random drug test conducted after his club’s 3-0 victory against Udinese on August 20th. Italy’s national anti-doping tribunal, NADO Italia, made this announcement on Monday.
The drug test revealed elevated levels of testosterone, a hormone known to enhance an athlete’s endurance. Consequently, the 30-year-old must undergo an examination of his second sample. Reports from Italy indicate that Pogba has three days to provide a counter-analysis of the test result. If found guilty of doping, the French international could face a suspension ranging from two to four years.
NADO Italia stated, “In acceptance of the instance proposed by the National Anti-doping Prosecutor, it has provided for the provisional suspension of the athlete Paul Labile Pogba.” The tribunal cited Pogba’s violation of anti-doping regulations, specifically mentioning the discovery of “non-endogenous testosterone metabolites,” a prohibited substance. They also noted that the test results were “consistent with the exogenous origin of the target compounds.”
Pogba’s return to Juventus from Manchester United in 2022 has been challenging. The 2018 World Cup winner missed most of the previous season due to knee and hamstring injuries and was absent from France’s participation in the World Cup final in Qatar, undergoing knee surgery.
Furthermore, Paul Pogba faced disciplinary issues other than the waited ban . He was excluded from a Juventus squad. He claimed to have contemplated quitting the game after allegedly experiencing blackmail from an organized crime group. In the current season, he has not yet started a game but has made two substitute appearances, with his most recent appearance in Juventus’ 2-0 victory against Empoli on September 3rd.
As of now, Juventus has not issued any statements regarding the recent controversy surrounding Pogba.
